Indications
Eszopiclone is a sleeping medicine used for the short-term treatment of insomnia in adults, including difficulty falling asleep and waking during the night.
How It Works
It acts on GABA receptors in the brain, boosting the brain’s natural calming signals. This helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Dosage and Administration
- Adults: usually 1 mg taken immediately before going to bed. The doctor may increase it to 2 mg or 3 mg if needed. Do not take more than 3 mg a night.
- Older adults and people with severe liver problems: not more than 2 mg a night.
Take it only when you can stay in bed for a full night (7 to 8 hours). Taking it with or just after a heavy, high-fat meal can slow its effect. Use it for the shortest time possible, as prescribed. It is not for children.
Interactions
- Alcohol: do not drink alcohol while taking it; the combination increases drowsiness and the risk of dangerous behaviour during sleep.
- Opioid painkillers such as Tramadol and Codeine: serious risk of slowed breathing, extreme drowsiness and coma.
- Other sedatives, such as benzodiazepines (Diazepam, Clonazepam), sedating antihistamines, antidepressants and antipsychotics, add to drowsiness.
- Ketoconazole, Clarithromycin and Ritonavir raise Eszopiclone levels; the dose should not exceed 2 mg.
- Rifampicin can make it less effective.
Contraindications
- Allergy to Eszopiclone
- A past episode of complex sleep behaviour (such as sleepwalking or sleep-driving) after taking Eszopiclone, Zolpidem or Zaleplon
Side Effects
Common: unpleasant or bitter taste, dry mouth, headache, dizziness, drowsiness the next day and memory problems.
Stop taking it and get urgent medical help if you notice:
- Doing things while not fully awake and not remembering them, such as sleepwalking, driving, cooking or making phone calls
- Swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing
- Thoughts of harming yourself, worsening depression, or unusual behaviour, agitation or hallucinations
- Very slow or shallow breathing
Pregnancy and Lactation
It is not recommended in pregnancy, especially near delivery, as the baby may be born sleepy or have breathing and feeding problems. It is not recommended while breastfeeding; if it is used, watch the baby for unusual sleepiness or poor feeding and talk to the doctor.
Precautions and Warnings
- Next-day effects: do not drive or do tasks that need full alertness the next day until you are fully awake, especially at the 3 mg dose.
- It can cause dependence; use for the shortest time and do not stop suddenly after long use without medical advice.
- Older people have a higher risk of falls and confusion.
- Use with care in depression, lung disease, sleep apnoea, myasthenia gravis, liver disease or a history of drug or alcohol misuse.
- If sleep does not improve within 7 to 10 days, see the doctor.
Overdose
An overdose can cause severe drowsiness, confusion, slow breathing and coma, especially with alcohol or opioids. Get emergency medical help immediately.
Therapeutic Class
Sedative-hypnotic (non-benzodiazepine sleeping medicine).
Storage
Store below 30°C in a dry place, away from light and out of the reach of children.
Prepared by the Oshud Alo team from standard drug references. For information only; always follow your doctor's advice.